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LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF 

TAPESTRIES 

ASSEMBLED,  ARRANGED  AND  CATALOGUED 
BY  GEORGE  LELAND  HUNTER 


During  the  first  week  and  the  last 
week  of  the  Exhibition,  free  lecture- 
promenades  by  special  appoint- 
ment, when  Mr.  Hunter  will  per- 
sonally conduct  visitors  through 
the  galleries,  explaining  the  history 
and  artistic  significance  of  the  dif- 
ferent tapestries. 


t 


\ 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

April  Sixth  to  Twenty-seventh  Inclusive 

1919 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/loanexhibitionof00hunt_0 


INTRODUCTION 


Especially  great  at  the  present  time  is  the  prac- 
tical and  patriotic  value  of  an  exhibition  of  tapes- 
tries. Under  war  conditions  the  art  side  of  American 
industries  began  to  flourish  as  never  before.  Dam- 
asks, brocades  and  velvets,  chintzes  and  cretonnes  and 
wall  papers  that  we  used  to  import  we  now  produce  for 
ourselves,  and  even  export. 

But  if  we  are  to  continue  to  hold  our  American  mar- 
kets after  the  war,  and  gain  others  in  the  face  of  renewed 
European  competition,  we  must  continue  to  elevate  the 
standards  of  our  art  industries  and  learn  to  rival  even  the 
French  in  matters  of  style  and  taste. 

To  those  who  by  their  generosity  have  made  possible 
this  extraordinary  exhibition  of  tapestries  at  the  Detroit 
Museum  of  Art,  the  city,  the  state  and  the  country  are 
deeply  indebted.  For  tapestries  more  than  any  other 
form  of  decorative  art  have  the  power  to  inspire  archi- 
tects, decorators,  designers,  students,  teachers,  manu- 
facturers, and  the  public  to  appreciation  of  what  good 
taste  really  is,  and  to  the  creation  and  acquisition  of 
better  things. 

Tapestries  have  a triple  excellence.  They  possess  not 
only  the  picture  interest  of  photographs  and  paintings, 
but  also  the  story  interest  of  novels  and  romances,  and 
the  texture  interest  of  damasks,  velvets  and  brocades, 
embroideries  and  Oriental  rugs. 

Tapestries  need  only  to  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 
They  are  a form  of  art  easy  to  understand.  They  do  not 
require  the  development  of  an  esoteric  sense  to  be  thrilled 
by  their  wonderful  qualities. 

But  it  is  necessary  to  regard  them  from  the  tapestry 
point  of  view.  For  the  tapestry  point  of  view  and  the 
paint  point  of  view  are  diametrically  opposed.  The  quali- 
ties that  distinguish  most  great  tapestries  are  not  those 
that  they  share  with  paintings,  but  those  that  differentiate 
them  from  paintings.  In  other  words,  of  tapestries  the 
most  characteristic  part  is  the  texture. 

Texture  is  what  makes  tapestries  the  fundamental  wall 


4 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


decoration.  Their  surface  consists  of  horizontal  ribs  cov- 
ered with  fine  vertical  weft  threads  that  combine  into 
strong  spires  of  color  called  hatchings.  So  that  their 
fundamental  lines,  like  those  of  architecture,  are  hori- 
zontal and  vertical,  and  not  approximately  so,  but  ex- 
actly so,  true  to  the  plumb  line.  This  is  why  tapestries 
cling  to  the  walls  of  a room  decoratively  and  architectur- 
ally, while  paintings  have  to  be  fenced  in  to  keep  them 
from  falling  off. 

Tapestry  is  a broad  word.  In  its  broadest  sense  it 
includes  all  the  fabrics  used  to  cover  the  walls  and  floors 
of  houses.  In  its  broadest  sense  it  includes  not  only  the 
upholstery  and  drapery  products  of  the  hand  loom  and 
the  power  loom,  but  also  carpets  and  rugs,  embroideries 
and  leathers,  cloths  painted  and  printed  and  stenciled. 
In  the  narrowest  sense  it  is  restricted  exclusively  to  the 
pictured  webs  of  “high  warp”  and  “low  warp”  looms, 
looms  that  are  vastly  simpler  than  the  ordinary  hand 
loom,  still  using  the  bobbin  instead  of  the  shuttle  to  con- 
vey the  weft  in  its  passage  back  and  forth  between  the 
warps. 

Primitive  tapestries  have  been  woven  by  many  primi- 
tive peoples.  Material  evidence  we  have  of  this  in  the 
European  and  American  museum  collections  of  ancient 
Coptic  and  Peruvian  textiles,  and  also  in  the  Oriental 
kelims,  Tunisian  blankets,  Mexican  serapes  and  Navajo 
rugs  so  familiar  to  most  of  us.  Even  the  very  beautiful 
Chinese  silk  tapestries  must  be  classed  among  the  primi- 
tives. 

Practically  all  the  world’s  great  tapestries  that  sur- 
vive— tapestries  of  the  type  made  famous  by  Arras  in 
the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries;  by  Brussels  in  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth;  by  the  Gobelins  in  the  seven- 
teenth and  since — are  French  or  Flemish,  or  French  and 
Flemish,  and  were  woven  in  Flanders  or  northern  France. 
Those  made  in  Italy  and  Germany  and  England  were  for 
the  most  part  the  work  of  errant  Flemish  weavers,  and 
apt  to  be  inferior  in  weave  and  dye. 

Of  the  great  tapestries  of  antiquity,  of  ancient  Greece 
and  Rome,  we  have  only  literary  evidence,  principally 
Homer  and  Ovid.  From  the  former  we  learn  that  both 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


0 


Helen  and  Penelope  were  weavers  of  tapestry.  Of  Helen, 
Homer  says: 

Her  in  the  palace  at  her  loom  she  found, 

The  golden  web  her  own  sad  story  crowned, 

The  Trojan  wars  she  weaved,  herself  the  prize. 

And  the  dire  triumphs  of  her  fatal  eyes; 

and  Ovid,  in  his  Metamorphoses,  describes  thrillingly 
and  also  with  great  technical  detail  the  tapestry-weaving 
contest  between  the  mortal  A^rachne  and  the  goddess  Pal- 
las, the  latter  picturing  vividly  and  wonderfully  the  Gods 
in  Council,  the  former  the  loves  of  the  Gods.  But  of 
French-Flemish  tapestries.  Gothic,  Renaissance,  Baroque 
and  Eighteenth  Century,  hundreds  of  the  most  splendid 
examples  have  been  preserved  not  only  in  European  public 
and  private  collections,  especially  in  the  French  National 
Collection,  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection,  the  Imperial 
Austrian  Collection,  but  also  in  America,  in  the  Blumen- 
thal,  Widener,  Bradley,  Harriman,  and  other  famous 
private  collections,  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art 
and  in  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 

All  of  the  world’s  great  tapestries  that  survive  were 
woven  in  the  space  of  five  centuries — fourteenth,  fif- 
tenth,  sixteenth,  seventeenth,  eighteenth — Gothic  of  the 
fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries.  Renaissance  of  the  six- 
teenth, Baroque  of  the  sev^enteenth.  Rococo  and  Classic  of 
the  eighteenth — the  Gothic  tapestries  lapping  over  the 
first  quarter  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  Renaissance 
into  the  seventeenth,  the  Baroque  into  the  eighteenth. 

Of  tapestries  made  in  the  fourteenth  century  almost 
none  remain.  The  only  important  exceptions  are  the 
small  Presentation  of  Jesus  at  the  Temple,  in  the  Brus- 
sels Museum;  the  large  King  Arthur  now  on  exhibition 
here;  the  famous  set  of  the  Apocalypse,  at  the  Cathedral 
of  Angers,  in  France. 

Originally  the  Apocalypse  set  consisted  of  seven  tapes- 
tries 18  feet  high  with  combined  length  of  472  feet.  To- 
day, through  wearing  away  at  the  top  and  bottom,  this 
height  is  only  14  feet,  and  of  the  original  90  scenes  there 
are  70  left. 

About  the  provenance  of  these  wonderful  Apolcalypse 
tapestries  we  have  the  most  complete  information.  (See 


6 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


page  38  of  my  book  on  “Tapestries”).  They  were  woven 
in  Paris  in  the  last  half  of  the  fourteenth  century  in  the 
shop  of  Nicolas  Bataille,  after  cartoons  by  Hennequin  de 
Bruges,  Charles  \'.’s  court  painter,  for  the  king’s  brother, 
the  Duke  of  Anjou.  A century  later  they  became  the 
property  of  the  cathedral. 

For  hundreds  of  years  they  were  proudly  displayed  on 
feast  days  and  admired  by  visiting  thousands.  But  when 
tapestries  went  out  of  fashion  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  the  canons  of  the  cathedral  decided  to  sell  the 
Apocalypse  set.  Only  the  fact  that  no  one  would  buy 
prevented  the  sale.  Finally,  in  1843,  a sale  was  effected. 
These  priceless  examples  of  the  art  of  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury were  disposed  of  for  sixty  dollars. 

Meanwhile,  not  believing  that  anything  Gothic  could 
be  beautiful,  the  canons  had  succeeded  in  making  the 
tapestries  of  the  Apocalypse  useful.  Some  they  divided 
into  rugs  for  the  chambers  of  the  Bishop’s  palace.  Others 
they  took  out  into  the  green  houses  on  cold  nights  to 
spread  over  the  orange  trees  and  keep  the  frost  away. 
C3ne  they  cut  up  into  strips  and  nailed  on  the  stalls  of  the 
Bishop’s  stables,  to  keep  his  horses  from  bruising  them- 
selves. 

Fortunately,  the  man  who  purchased  the  set  for  sixty 
dollars  was  wiser  than  the  canons,  and  restored  it  to  the 
cathedral,  of  which  it  is  once  again  the  chief  treasure,  and 
an  object  of  pilgrimage  from  all  over  the  world. 

The  King  Arthur  tapestry  shown  in  this  exhibition  is 
the  only  large  fourteenth  century  tapestry  I know,  except 
the  Apocalypse  ones  at  Angers. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  came  a revo- 
lution in  the  design  of  tapestries.  Gothic  was  replaced  by 
Renaissance,  Flemish  by  Italian.  To  Raphael  and  his 
famous  pupil,  Giulio  Romano,  the  transformation  was 
largely  due.  The  former  with  his  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
the  latter  with  his  Scipio,  Romulus  and  Remus,  Fruits  of 
War,  Grotesque  Months  and  other  series,  completely 
changed  the  prevailing  style  from  Mediaeval  to  Renais- 
sance. Flemish  designers  like  Bernard  Van  Orley  and 
Lucas  van  Leyden  also  excelled  in  the  new  style. 

In  the  seventeenth  century  the  tapestry  leadership 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


7 


passed  from  Flanders  to  France.  The  Gobelins  and 
Beauvais  became  the  great  centers  of  tapestry  produc- 
tion. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  were  created  the  tapestries 
best  suited  for  most  modern  residences,  after  the  designs 
of  Boucher,  Coypel,  Casanova,  and  Leprince  at  Beau- 
vais; after  the  designs  of  Coypel,  Boucher,  Jeaurat,  and 
others  at  the  Gobelins.  The  most  exquisite  of  these  are 
the  Beauvais-Bouchers,  so  called  because  designed  by 
Francois  Boucher  and  woven  at  Beauvais.  Aubusson, 
with  improved  designs  and  dyes,  also  produced  charming 
small  panels  in  the  third  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. 

Few  Americans  have  had  an  opportunity  in  their 
native  country  to  become  familiar  with  Gobelin  and  Beau- 
vais tapestries.  The  only  examples  in  any  American 
museum  are  the  modern  Gobelin  in  the  Cincinnati  Mus- 
eum presented  as  a wedding  present  to  Alice  Roosevelt, 
and  the  Beauvais-Boucher  in  the  Altman  Collection  at  the 
New  York  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  The  other 
Gobelin  and  Beauvais-Bouchers  in  America  are  locked 
up  in  exclusive  gallaries  not  open  to  the  public. 

Of  course,  the  religious  center  of  the  exhibition  is  the 
Gothic  room.  In  the  Middle  Ages  religion,  which  is  now 
too  often  of  man’s  life  a thing  apart,  permeated  his  whole 
existence.  In  tapestries  were  pictured  before  him  the 
sacred  stories  of  the  Old  Testament  and  of  the  New,  the 
Lives  of  Christ  and  the  Virgin,  and  of  the  Saints.  At  the 
head  of  the  extraordinary  assemblage  of  Gothic  tapes- 
tries now  on  exhibition  at  the  Detroit  Museum  of  Art 
stands  the  Marriage  of  David,  larger  and  earlier  and  more 
brilliant  in  execution  than  any  of  the  famous  Stor}'  of 
David  set  at  the  Cluny  Museum  in  Paris.  Next  come 
the  Ecce  Homo,  rich  with  gold  and  silver,  and  Saint  Paul 
woven  for  and  presented  by  the  Bishop  of  Beauvais  to 
the  Cathedral  of  Beauvais  in  1460.  The  secular  side  of 
life  in  the  fifteenth  century  is  presented  by  the  two  splen- 
did Shepherd  and  Hunting  tapestries,  by  the  Capture  of 
a City,  by  the  Shepherd  Lover,  Children  Playing,  and 
Shepherds  Dancing,  and  the  two  exquisite  mille  Jleurs. 


8 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


LECTURE  PROMENADES 

During  the  first  week  of  the  exhibition,  beginning 
Monday,  April  7,  and  from  April  20  to  April  27,  Mr. 
Hunter  will  give  free  daily  lecture  promenades  before  the 
tapestries  to  selected  groups  from  the  schools,  and  church- 
es, and  clubs,  and  decorative  shops  and  departments,  of 
Detroit.  Appointments  may  be  made  by  letter  or  tele- 
phone to  the  Director  of  the  Museum,  Main  1097. 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


9 


DESCRIPTIVE  LIST 
OF 

THE  TAPESTRIES  EXHIBITED 


1.  KING  ARTHUR,  an  early  Gothic  tapestry  woven  in  Paris  in 
the  last  quarter  of  the  fourteenth  century.  A.  favorite  theme  of 
tapestry  makers  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries  was  the 
Nine  Heroes  (Preux) ; three  pagan,  Hector,  Alexander,  Caesar; 
three  Hebrew,  David,  Joshua,  Judas  Maccabaeus;  three  Christian, 
Arthur,  Charlemagne,  Godfrey  de  Bouillon.  Charles  V,  King  of 
France  from  1364  to  1380,  had  two  tapestries  picturing  the  Nine 
Heroes,  and  his  brother  Louis,  Duke  of  Anjou,  had  one.  Similar 
tapestries  were  also  owned  by  the  king’s  other  brothers,  the  Dukes 
of  Burgundy  and  Berri,  but  with  a tenth  Preux  added,  the  contem- 
porary Hero  of  the  war  against  England,  Bertrand  du  Guesclin. 
A contemporary  French  poem  preserved  in  a manuscript  in  the 
Bibliotheque  Nationale,  reads  translated: 

Since  he  is  dead,  let  him  be  put  in  the  table 
Of  Maccabaeus,  first  Hero  in  renown. 

Of  Joshua,  David  the  wise, 

Alexander,  Hector,  and  Absalom, 

Arthur,  Charles,  Godfrey  de  Bouillon. 

Now  let  be  named  the  tenth  of  them, 

Bertrand,  the  Preux  who  like  a hero  served 
The  azure  shield  with  three  golden  fleur-de-lis. 

Of  all  the  Gothic  Hero  tapestries,  however,  only  a few  large 
fragments  have  survived.  The  most  important  are  the  one  shown 
in  this  exhibition,  from  the  fourteenth  century,  and  the  Bale,  Saint 
Maxent  and  Fraisse  fragments  from  the  fifteenth  century.  In  all 
King  Arthur  appears  with  his  traditional  coat  of  arms,  “three 
crowns  of  gold  on  azure.’’  He  also  appears  with  the  same  coat  of 
arms  in  the  Triumph  of  Christ  tapestry  at  the  Brussels  Museum, 
and  in  the  Charlemagne  tapestry  belonging  to  Mr.  George  Bhimen- 
thal.  (See  plates  370,  371  of  Hunter’s  “Tapestries,  Their  Origin, 
History  and  Renaissance.’’) 

In  the  tapestry  before  us  King  Arthur  wears  his  coat  of  arms 
not  only  on  the  pennant  that  floats  from  his  lance  but  also  upon 
his  breast.  He  is  fully  armored  and  his  left  hand  drews  a sword 
from  its  sheath.  He  is  vSeated  in  a throne  chair  and  framed  in 
Gothic  architecture  of  the  same  type  as  apj)ears  in  the  famous  tour- 
teenth  century  set  of  Apocaly{)se  tapestries  at  the  Cathedral  of 
Angers.  Indeed,  the  resemblance  between  this  tajx'stry  and  the 
Apocalypse  set  is  in  every  way  striking.  Just  as  the  main  person- 
age in  each  of  the  Apocalypse  sets  occupies  the  full  height  of  the 
tapestry,  while  the  other  scenes  are  in  two  rows,  one  above  the 
other,  so  here  Arthur  occupies  the  full  height  of  the  tapestry,  and 
on  each  side  of  him  are  lesser  personages  arranged  in  a double  tier; 


10 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


above,  two  archbishops  standing  in  the  balconies  with  archepis- 
copal  cross  on  staff ; below,  two  bishops  with  episcopal  crozier  (de- 
riv’ed  not  from  the  cross  but  from  the  shepherd’s  staff).  Note- 
worthy are  the  jewels  displayed  by  the  bishops  and  archbishops,  on 
their  mitres,  fastening  their  cloaks,  and  on  the  backs  of  their  hands. 
Arthur,  like  the  two  lesser  warriors  in  the  extreme  left,  has  a long 
flowing  beard  and  long  flowing  hair  of  the  same  type  as  seen  in  the 
Apocalypse.  Size,  8 feet  by  10  feet  11.  Lent  by  Duveen  Brothers. 

2.  MARRIAGE  OF  KING  DAVID,  the  largest  tapestry  I have 
ever  seen.  It  is  not  only  larger  than  any  of  the  famous  “Story  of 
David’’  set  of  ten,  in  the  Cluny  Museum,  but  it  is  also  more  beauti- 
ful in  composition,  more  brilliant  in  coloring  and  more  exquisite  in 
texture.  It  is  also  about  fifteen  years  earlier  in  date,  having  been 
on  the  loom  at  the  time  Columbus  discovered  America,  and  conse- 
quently is  much  more  Gothic  in  architecture  and  in  spirit,  and  shows 
much  less  evidence  of  the  approach  of  the  Renaissance.  The 
central  scene,  from  which  the  tapestry  takes  its  name,  illustrates  the 
Marriage  of  King  David,  after  Bathsheba’s  husband,  Uriah,  the  Hit- 
tite,  had  been  betrayed  to  death  by  David.  Only  then  could  David 
receive  Bathsheba  at  his  court  as  his  lawful  wife.  The  chamberlain, 
who  had  been  sent  to  fetch  Bathsheba,  kneels  on  the  left,  while 
Bathsheba  kneels  on  the  right;  King  David  sits  in  majesty  upon  his 
throne  surrounded  by  the  lords  and  ladies  of  his  court  in  brilliant 
fifteenth  century  costume. 

The  upper  scene  on  the  left  is  the  first,  chronologically.  Here 
David  sees  Bathsheba  for  the  first  time.  This  is  the  scene  com- 
monly called  “Bathsheba  at  the  Bath,’’  a picture  much  more  modest 
in  Gothic  art  than  as  portrayed  by  Rubens  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, or  Boucher  in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  lower  scene  on  the 
left  pictures  the  first  meeting  of  David  and  Bathsheba.  He  had  no 
sooner  seen  her  than  he  was  impatient  to  know  her  better.  He  sent 
for  her  immediately  and  received  her  affectionately,  as  the  tapestry 
shows,  to  the  great  scandal  of  his  Court. 

Next  comes  the  marriage  scene  in  the  middle,  already  described, 
followed  by  the  lower  scene  on  the  right,  “The  Reproach  of  Nathan,’’ 
where  the  prophet  bitterly  blames  David  and  Bathsheba,  seated 
together  on  the  throne,  for  the  sin  that  they  have  committed.  The 
upper  scene  on  the  right  pictures  the  grief  of  David  and  of  Bath- 
sheba at  the  mortal  illness  of  their  passionately  adored  child  that 
lies  on  the  bed  of  which  only  a corner  is  visible.  Size,  15  feet  by 
29  feet  5.  Lent  by  Duveen  Brothers. 

3.  PXCE  HOMO,  a brilliantly  beautiful  small  Gothic  tapestry 
rich  with  silver  and  gold,  designed  by  Quentin  Massys,  and  woven 
at  Brussels  near  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century.  Already  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Renaissance  is  seen  strongly  marked  in  the  archi- 
tecture, which  reveals  the  familiarity  of  the  artist  with  the  work  of 
archiects  and  painters  in  Italy.  But  the  spirit  of  the  composition 
is  vividly  French-Flemish  Gothic,  and  the  faces  and  figures  are 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


11 


drawn  with  the  passionate  individuality  and  dramatic  force  charac- 
teristic of  Massys,  and  so  powerfully  employed  by  him  in  his 
painted  Crucifixions  preserved  in  the  museums  of  Antwerp,  London, 
and  Vienna,  and  in  his  Entombment  at  Antwerp.  Vigorously, 
almost  cruelly  has  Massys  contrasted,  in  the  tapestry  before  us, 
the  face  of  Christ  sorrowful  and  resigned  with  the  jeering  counte- 
nances of  his  tormentors,  and  the  poor  shreds  of  drapery  that  cross 
the  shoulders  of  the  thorn-crowned  Christ,  with  the  rich  robes  that 
fail  to  conceal  the  malice  of  his  oppressors.  Splendidly  here  is 
illustrated  the  tragic  scene  described  for  us  in  words  by  vSaint 
Matthew  in  the  twenty-seventh  chapter  of  the  first  of  the  Four 
Gospels.  Impressively  is  suggested  the  world  power  of  the  ancient 
Roman  Empire  (whose  local  representative  was  Pilate)  by  the 
double  eagle  that  was  not  as  a matter  of  fact  taken  for  the  im- 
perial symbol  until  long  after  Christianity  had  been  adopted  as 
the  official  religion  of  the  Roman  Empire,  transforming  Jupiter 
and  Juno  and  the  other  Olympians  from  gods  to  idols.  Size,  7 
feet  by  7 feet.  Lent  by  Gimpel  & Wildenstein. 

4.  SAINT  PAUL,  one  of  a set  of  tapestries  woven  for  the  Bishop 
of  Beauvais,  Guillaume  de  Hellande,  and  by  him  presented  to  the 
Cathedral  of  Beauvais  in  1460.  Bishop  Guillaume  in  his  will 
speaks  of  having  given  this  set  of  tapestries  to  the  Cathedral,  and 
in  the  epitaph  on  his  tomb  appear  in  Latin  the  words:  “He  gave 
decorations,  revenues,  tapestries,  tables.”  Marks  that  identify 
the  tapestry  are  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  Bishopric  of  Beauvais,  the 
one  with  the  keys  in  the  lower  left  and  the  upper  right  corners, 
and  the  family  coat-of-arms  of  Guillaume  de  Hellande,  in  the 
other  two  corners.  The  word  paiz  (peace)  that  appears  on  the 
tapestry  eight  times  shows  that  peace  was  just  as  dear  at  the  end 
of  the  Hundred  Years  War  in  the  fifteenth  century,  as  now  in  the 
twentieth  century  at  the  end  of  the  World  War.  Indeed,  in  the 
inscription  on  the  last  of  the  tapestries  now  lost.  Bishop  Guillaume 
celebrates  the  fact  that  he  assumed  his  bishopric  in  the  year  1444 
when  “God  moderated  our  sufferings  and  peace  was  made  in  France 
between  the  powerful  French  King  called  Charles  of  Valois  and 
Henry  King  of  England,  in  the  gentle  month  of  May  when  the 
earth  bedecks  herself  with  many  colors.” 

He  ends  by  saying:  “Moved  by  a virtuous  resolve,  this  same 
venerable  pastor  in  the  year  thousand  four  hundred  sixty  had 
made  in  a lasting  manner  this  set  of  tapestries.” 

By  1838  when  Jubinal  wrote,  some  of  the  tapestries  had  already 
disappeared.  But  there  still  sur\dvT‘d  at  least  eleven  pieces, 
containing  23  scenes  of  which  we  can  locate  20  to-day,  16  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Beauvais,  1 at  the  Cherry  Museum,  and  3 in  America. 
The  one  before  us  in  1844  was  in  the  possession  of  the  arcliaeologist, 
M.  Mansard,  who  restored  it  to  the  C athedral,  from  which  it  had 
probably  been  removed  at  the  time  ot  the  I^rench  revolution. 
Since  then,  by  virtue  of  the  law  called  Separation  ot  the  C luirch 
and  the  State,  the  heirs  of  M.  Mansard  asked  tor  the  return  ot  the 


12 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


tapestry  and  judgment  was  rendered  in  their  favor,  which  is  why 
the  present  owners  are  able  to  lend  it  for  the  Detroit  exhibition. 
I regard  it  as  the  finest  of  the  set  still  preserved. 

Ths  stor\'  of  the  tapestry  appears  on  the  face  of  it  in  French  in 
Gothic  letters:  “How  Saint  Paul  was  beheaded  outside  the  city 

of  Rome.  His  head  when  separated  from  the  trunk,  rebounded 
three  times.”  In  the  lower  right  corner  of  the  tapestry  above  the 
head  of  Saint  Paul,  appears  an  inscription  from  his  Epistle  to  the 
F^hilippians  (Chapter  1,  verse  21):  “For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and 
to  die  is  gain.”  From  his  lips  come  the  letters  I.  H.  S.,  initials 
of  the  Latin  for  “Jesus,  Saviour  of  Men.” 

The  central  figure  of  the  group  of  pagans  on  the  left  is  the 
Roman  Emperor  Nero,  beardless  and  laurel-crowned,  and  arrayed 
in  golden  armor  richly  chased.  At  the  left  of  the  group  of  Christians 
on  the  right,  stands  Platilla,  one  of  the  disciples  of  Saint  Paul  whose 
veil  still  covers  his  eyes.  Size,  9 feet  by  7 feet  2.  Lent  by  Arnold 
Seligmann,  Rey,  & Co. 

5.  CAPTURE  OF  A FORTRESS,  a French-Flemish  battle 
tapestry  crowded  with  figures,  in  the  style  of  the  famous  Gothic 
Trojan  war  tapestries,  one  of  which  is  now  on  exhibition  at  the 
New  York  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  lent  by  Mr.  Edson  Brad- 
ley, and  three  of  which  have  for  many  years  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  world  at  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  in  London.  Tapes- 
tries similar  in  style  are  the  Capture  of  Jerusalem  now  in  the  per- 
manent collection  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  and  the  Roland 
at  Roncesvaux  in  the  Brussels  Museum.  All  of  these  tapestries 
were  designed  and  woven  in  the  last  half  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
and  like  other  Gothic  tapestries  are  notable  for  the  fact  that  they 
picture  not  the  costumes  and  faces  contemporary  with  the  stories 
illustrated,  but  those  contemporary  with  themselves.  The  tapestry 
before  us  is  distinguished  not  only  for  the  strength  of  the  weaving, 
with  rib  and  hatching  contrasts  and  horizontal  and  stepped-slit 
effects  developed  to  the  highest  point,  but  also  for  the  gradations 
of  color  that  produce  incomparable  blues  and  reds.  On  the  right 
the  commander  of  the  defeated  forces,  apparently  a Saracen,  has 
just  received  the  coup-de-grace,  or  rather  several  of  them,  and  flat 
on  his  back  submits  to  the  last  insults  of  the  victors.  The  walls 
of  the  fortress  form  the  background  of  the  picture,  and  on  the  right 
in  an  outer  court  a scaling  ladder  is  being  used  to  reach  the  top 
of  the  wall.  On  the  extreme  left,  captives  are  being  ruthlessly 
punished  by  the  amputation  of  their  hands.  The  figure  in  the 
middle  foreground,  with  lettering  I hope  to  be  able  to  interpret 
later,  is  the  leader  of  the  attacking  force.  Size  9 feet  by  15  feet  1. 

Lent  by  Arnold  Seligmann,  Rey  & Co. 

6,  7.  GOTHIC  SHEPHERD  AND  HUNTING  TAPESTRIES, 
two  out  of  a rare  and  splendid  set  of  seven  woven  at  Tournai,  then 
in  France,  near  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  illustrating 
luminously  French-Flemish  costumes  and  customs  of  the  period. 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


13 


The  reds  are  strong  and  well-preserved,  but  broken  by  skillful 
hatching  and  outlining  artfully  into  a scale  of  tones  that  contrast 
boldly  but  rhythmically.  At  the  top  of  No.  6,  appears  the  coat- 
of-arms  of  him  for  whom  the  tapestries  were  probably  made,  per- 
haps the  lord  in  the  foreground  on  the  extreme  right,  richly  ap- 
pareled with  a large  rolling  plume  adorning  the  wide  expanse  of 
the  hat  that  hides  part  of  his  luxurious  hair,  or  perhaps  the  lord 
in  the  centre  of  the  tapestry  distinguished  by  a hat  even  richer, 
with  a whole  forest  of  plumes  crowning  the  jeweled  hat  that  is 
tied  fast  by  a broad  ribbon  encircling  his  chin.  The  first  lord,  sup- 
ported by  the  gracious  presence  of  his  lady,  is  receiving  from  a 
retainer  a rabbit  and  a quarter  of  deer,  the  fruit  of  the  chase  that 
waxes  warm  in  the  background.  The  second  lord,  and  his  lady 
who  is  resplendent  with  richly  brocaded  and  voluminous  robes, 
welcome  a caravan  of  children  with  their  nurses  joyously  approach- 
ing from  the  left,  riding  on  spirited  horses  and  guarded  by  a bearded 
ruffian  who  points  with  his  right  hand  to  some  danger  just  escaped. 
Especially  delightful  are  the  floriation  of  the  foreground,  and  the 
architecture  of  the  middle  and  background;  also  the  three  dogs  of 
the  foreground.  Tapestry  No.  7 pictures  cavaliers  hunting  in  the 
background,  and  shepherds  flirting  in  the  foreground  delightfully. 
The  personage  in  the  middle  foreground  is  evidently  a lady  of  the 
castle  who  has  temporarily  seized  the  houlette  (shepherd’s  staff 
with  slender  spade  at  the  end  to  throw  dirt  at  the  erring  sheep) 
in  order  to  dazzle  the  rustic  swains,  one  of  whom  raises  his  left 
hand  perplexedly,  while  the  fisherman  forgets  the  evident  fish  in 
the  pool  in  his  admiration,  and  the  barelegged  varlet  in  the  brook 
holds  towards  his  mistress  a captured  duck,  while  the  almost-sub- 
merged dog  mouths  another.  Shepherds  and  shepherdesses  alike 
wear  at  the  belt  the  weapons  of  their  trade,  while  sheep  and  a goat 
browse  behind  them.  The  couple  on  the  right  seem  infatuated 
completely.  Size  of  No.  6,  11  feet  6 by  16  feet  8;  of  No.  7,  11  feet 
6 by  16  feet  5.  Lent  by  Duveen  Bros. 

8.  CHILDREN  PLAYING,  a charming  Gothic-Renaissance 
transition  picture  of  youthful  games,  with  windmills,  hoop  and  bird- 
catcher  active.  Size  8 feet  8 by  6 feet  5.  Lent  by  Dikran  G. 
Kelekian. 

9.  SHEPHERDS  DANCING,  an  early  version  of  the  type  ot 
tapestry  that  with  captions  added,  became  famous  as  the  Gom- 
bant  and  Mac6e  series,  repeated  over  and  over  again  on  Late 
Gothic,  Renaissance,  and  seventeenth  century  looms,  and  antici- 
pated the  refined  rusticalities  of  Boucher  and  Lancret.  Size  5 feet 
5 by  4 feet  11.  Lent  by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 

10.  HELEN  OF  TROY,  fragment  of  a Late  Gothic  Trojan  VVar 
tapestry,  with  the  identity  of  the  different  personages,  prominent 
among  whom  is  Helen,  designated  by  the  names  woven  on  their 
robes.  Size  9 feet  7 by  4 feet  4.  Lent  by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 


14 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


11.  SHEPHERD  LOVER,  a Gothic  tapestry  woven  in  Flanders 
in  the  last  quarter  of  the  fifteenth  century.  The  scene  represented 
is  a Garden  of  Pleasure  which  the  youthful  shepherd  on  the  left 
regards  with  desire,  but  which  the  aged  shepherd  on  the  right 
regards  with  aversion.  Before  the  court-yard,  children  are  merrily 
and  shamelessly  splashing  in  the  water  without  apparent  fear  of  the 
lion.  Inside  the  court-yard,  animals  real  and  imaginary  are  por- 
trayed with  great  force.  In  the  upper  left  corner  is  a wild  fox.  In 
the  lower  left  corner,  a youth  with  falcon,  and  in  the  lower  right 
corner,  a shepherd  carrying  a sheep  around  his  neck.  The  inscrip- 
tion on  the  left  reads,  translated:  “The  shepherd  lover,  gay  and 
joyful  at  the  court  of  pleasure.”  The  inscription  on  the  right  reads, 
translated,  giving  the  words  of  the  aged  shepherd:  “I  leave  such 
games,  wish  to  play  no  more,  am  getting  old.”  Size,  9 feet  8 by 
13  feet.  Lent  by  L.  Alavoine  & Company. 

12,  13.  MILLE  FLEUR  tapestries  of  unusual  interest.  Of  course, 
no  tapestry  exhibition  is  complete  without  a mille  fleur  tapestry. 
Mille  Fleur  tapestries  are  more  generally  popular  than  any  others 
and  with  much  reason.  Seldom,  however,  are  they  equal  in  quality 
and  condition  to  the  two  here  exhibited.  Delightfully  quaint  and 
fascinating  are  the  animals  silhouetted  on  the  floriated  background, 
and  the  coat  of  arms  in  the  second  of  the  two  tapestries  is  an  im- 
portant feature.  Size  of  the  first,  9 feet  5 by  8 feet  1 ; of  the  second, 
9 feet  1 by  9 feet.  Lent  by  Duveen  Brothers. 

14.  DIANA  AND  ACTAEON.  A large  and  well  composed 
Renaissance  tapestry  woven  at  Brussels  in  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  portraying  Diana  at  the  Bath  with  almost  Gothic 
modesty,  on  the  right;  and  on  the  left,  Actaeon,  whose  accidental 
discovery  of  Diana  was  so  fatal  to  himself.  This  tapestry  is  an 
e.xcellent  illustration  of  the  superiority  of  the  Renaissance  verdure 
of  both  panels  and  borders  to  that  of  the  seventeenth  and  eight- 
eenth centuries.  Size,  11  feet  2 by  17  feet.  Lent  by  William 
Baumgarten  & Company. 

15.  CHILDREN  OF  NIOBE,  one  of  a set  of  six  brilliantly  beauti- 
ful Renaissance  tapestries  of  uniquely  effective  colorations,  that 
formerly  hung  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  signed  at  the 
bottom  just  inside  the  border  by  Francis  Spiering  who  wove  the 
set  at  Delft,  in  Holland^  at  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, FRANCISCVS  SPIRINVS  FECIT  ANNO  1610.  Spiering’s 
monogram,  part  of  an  N across  the  lower  part  of  a signature  cross, 
also  appears  in  the  lower  part  of  the  right  selvage.  The  mark  at 
the  left  of  the  bottom  selvage  is  that  of  Delft,  a shield  flanked  by 
H and  D (Holland  and  Delft).  Spiering  was  one  of  the  many 
Flemish  tapestry  makers  who  sought  refuge  in  Holland  from  the 
persecutions  of  the  Duke  of  Alba  and  the  Duke  of  Parma.  His 
name  is  famous  in  England  as  that  of  the  maker  of  the  set  of  ten 
Defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada  tapestries  that  adorned  the  assembly 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


15 


hall  of  the  British  House  of  Lords  in  London  until  destroyed  by 
fire.  The  border  of  the  Children  of  Niobe  is  rich  and  appropriate, 
and  of  the  Flemish  Renaissance  compartment-verdure  type  that 
was  based  on  the  Italian  Renaissance  compartment  borders  origi- 
nated in  Raphael’s  studio  for  the  woven  pilasters  of  the  Sistine 
Chapel  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  later  developed  by  Giulio  Ro- 
mano, his  favorite  pupil. 

In  the  lower  corners  of  the  border  are  pairs  of  famous  lovers, 
on  the  left.  Mars  and  Venus,  on  the  right  Jupiter  and  Callisto, 
with  the  love  interest  emphasized  by  the  Cupid  poised  to  shoot, 
whose  four  horse  chariot  occupies  the  middle  of  the  top  border. 
The  story  of  the  Children  of  Niobe  is  part  of  the  story  of 
Diana  that  forms  the  subject  of  the  set.  Niobe,  daughter  of  Tan- 
talus, king  of  Phrygia,  though  she  owed  her  happy  marriage  and 
her  seven  stalwart  sons  and  seven  blooming  daughters  to  the  favor 
of  the  gods  and  of  Latona  particularly,  was  so  puffed  up  with  her 
prosperity  that  she  tried  to  turn  her  subjects  from  the  worship  of 
Latona  to  the  worship  of  herself.  Enraged  at  this  presumption, 
Latona  appealed  to  her  children,  Apollo  and  Diana,  who  quickly 
avenged  her  as  shown  in  the  tapestry  before  us.  In  the  middle- 
ground  stands  the  altar  of  Latona  with  her  twin  babies.  In  the 
background  on  the  right,  the  prophetess  Manto  inspired  by  divine 
impulse  urging  the  women  of  Thebes  to  throng  Latona’s  temple, 
bringing  rich  offerings.  In  the  right  foreground,  the  women  of 
Thebes  obeying  Manto’s  behest.  In  the  left  foreground,  Niobe 
and  her  train  forbidding  the  sacrifice.  In  the  left  background, 
Diana  and  Apollo  from  the  sky  shooting  down  the  children  of 
Niobe,  a scene  that  recalls  the  statues  illustrating  the  same  story 
in  the  gallery  of  the  Uffizi  at  Florence.  Size  11  feet  5 by  17  feet  8. 
Lent  by  Duveen  Bros. 

16.  THE  DRAGON,  an  all-silk,  (except  for  the  buried  woolen  warp) 
Renaissance  tapestry  with  brilliant  wide  border,  woven  in  Brussels 
at  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  signed  in  the 
bottom  selvage  with  the  Brussels  mark  (a  red  shield  between  two 
golden  B’s  that  stand  for  Brussels  in  the  province  of  Brabant),  and 
in  the  right  selvage  with  the  monogram  of  the  associated  tapestry 
makers,  Jan  Geubels  and  Jan  Raes.  Size,  15  feet  2 by  10  feet  7. 
Lent  by  Dikran  G Kelekian. 

17.  ARMORIAL,  a Late  Renaissance  coat-of-arms  tapestry 
woven  in  Flanders  evidently  for  Spain.  One  of  the  most  interesting 
of  the  Flemish  armorial  tapestries  that  have  survived.  Size,  9 
feet  6 by  7 feet  8.  Lent  by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 

18.  19.  TURKISH  HORSEMEN,  a pair  of  tapestries  with  extra- 
ordinarily wide  and  attractive  borders,  illustrating  the  evolutions 
of  Turkish  horsemen,  woven  in  the  last  half  of  the  seventeenth 
century  at  Antwerp  by  Peeter  Wanters,  whose  name  still  appears 
on  the  bottom  selvage  of  one  of  them.  No.  18  has  in  the  cartouche 


16 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


occupying  the  middle  of  the  top  border,  the  inscription  Groupades 
par  le  droite  (Right  wheel);  No.  19  has  Le  trot  (Trotting). 
Lent  by  Mrs.  Russell  A.  Alger. 

20.  ULYSSES  AND  CIRCE,  a large  and  impressive  tapestry, 
(though  in  bad  condition)  in  the  style  of  Rubens,  woven  in  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  I.  Liemairs,  and  signed  in  the 
bottom  selvage  with  his  name  and  the  Brussels  mark.  The  story 
is  told  in  the  Latin  caption  in  the  cartouche  at  the  top,  QVOS 
ANIMOS  NVMQVAM  VINA  LVSVSQVE  PETVNT  (Souls 
nev'er  weary  of  wine  and  games).  Certainly  prohibition  did  not 
prevent  Circe  from  using  all  the  liquid  arts  to  hold  Ulysses,  and 
keep  him  far  from  his  faithful  Penelope.  Size,  13  feet  3 by  14 
feet  7.  Lent  by  Mrs.  John  W.  Liggett. 

21.  FLORA,  the  Goddess  of  Spring,  one  of  the  brilliant  tapestries 
woven  at  Brussels  during  the  reign  of  the  French  king,  Louis  XIV, 
and  commonly  called  “Louis  XIV  Brussels.”  Size,  10  feet  9 by 
14  feet.  Lent  by  William  Baumgarten  & Company. 

22.  ACHILLES,  another  Louis  XIV  Brussels  tapestry  of  strong 
composition  and  brilliant  coloration.  The  scene  depicted  is  that  of 
Achilles  discovered  by  Ulysses  among  the  daughters  of  Lycomedes, 
where  he  had  been  sent  by  his  mother,  Thetis,  and  dressed  in  girl’s 
clothing,  in  order  to  prevent  him  from  being  compelled  to  go  to  the 
Trojan  War.  Size,  12  feet  1 by  16  feet  10.  Lent  by  William  Baum- 
garten & Company. 

23.  ARRIVAL  OF  NEPTUNE,  a miniature  Louis  XIV  Brussels 
tapestry  picturing  a scene  from  Fenelon’s  Story  of  Telemachus,  the 
son  of  Ulysses,  who  went  wandering  around  the  Mediterranean  in 
search  of  the  father  whose  life  he  feared  for  and  whose  return  he 
longed  for.  Size,  6 feet  11  by  9 feet  6.  Lent  by  Mrs.  Sherman 
L.  Depew. 

24.  CARD  PLAYERS,  an  early  eighteenth  century  Brussels 
tapestry  in  the  style  of  Teniers,  with  the  woven  gilt  frame  border 
introduced  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Size,  9 
feet  11  by  11  feet  1.  Lent  by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 

25.  MORGAN  SAVONNERIE,  not  a tapestry  but  one  of  the 
famous  pile  rugs  knotted  for  Louis  XIV  in  the  old  soap  works 
(savonnerie)  at  Chaillot,  a suburb  of  Paris.  The  rug  plant  was 
transferred  to  the  Gobelins  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  but 
savonneries  have  given  their  name  to  all  hand-knotted  French  rugs, 
even  those  made  at  Aubusson  and  places  far  from  Paris.  The  rug 
before  us,  as  part  of  the  famous  J.  Pierpont  Morgan  collection,  was 
long  a centre  of  pilgrimage  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art, 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


17 


and  is  quite  worthy  to  be  shown  side  by  side  with  the  finest  Savon- 
neries  of  the  Louvre  and  in  the  French  National  Collection.  Size, 
11  feet  4 by  18  feet  2.  Lent  by  Duveen  Bros. 

26.  BEAUVAIS  FURNITURE  COVERINGS,  a set  of  eight 
chairs  with  sofa,  covered  with  tapestry  woven  at  Beauvais  in  the 
period  of  Louis  XV,  picturing  scenes  designed  by  Oudry  to  illus- 
trate Lafontaine’s  Fables.  Tapestries  like  these  are  now  so  rare  as 
to  be  inaccessible  to  those  of  moderate  fortune.  Lent  by  Duveen 
Bros. 

27-31.  MONTHS  OF  LUCAS,  JANUARY,  MARCH,  APRIL 
SEPTEMBER,  OCTOBER.  Five  tapestries  out  of  a series  of 
twelve  designed  about  1530  by  Lucas  van  Leyden,  and  woven  at  the 
Gobelins  in  the  eighteenth  century,  with  eighteenth  century  bor- 
ders, for  the  Count  of  Toulouse,  on  high  warp  looms  in  the  shop  of 
Michel  Audran,  whose  signature  appears  in  the  lower  right  corner 
of  the  panel.  This  is  by  far  the  finest  of  several  sets  of  Months  of 
Lucas  woven  at  the  Gobelins.  The  monogram  in  the  lower  corners 
of  the  different  pieces  is  the  A of  Alexandre,  Count  of  Toulouse. 
After  his  death  the  tapestries  were  placed  in  the  Palace  of  Fontaine- 
bleau as  part  of  the  Royal  collection,  and  were  sold  in  1852  as  part 
of  the  possessions  of  Louis  Philippe,  deposed  King  of  France.  Later 
they  became  part  of  the  collection  of  Lady  Somerset  and  hung  in 
Eastnor  Castle,  Herefordshire,  until  acquired  by  the  present  own- 
ers. On  pages  325  and  327  of  Latham’s  “In  English  Homes”  the 
tapestries  are  shown  in  position  on  the  walls  of  the  Library  of 
Eastnor  Castle.  Added  interest  is  given  to  the  Months  of  Lucas 
though  the  recent  discovery  by  myself  of  the  long-forgotten  fact 
that  the  two  principal  personages  portrayed  are  the  Emperor 
Charles  I and  his  wife,  Isabella  of  Spain,  whom  he  married  in  1526, 
shortly  before  the  tapestries  were  designed. 

At  this  point  I should  like  to  say  that  to  speak  of  Charles  V as 
a German  Emperor  is  misleading.  His  grandfather  and  predeces- 
sor was  Emperor  Maximilian,  whose  hereditary  title  was  Archduke 
of  Austria.  But  Charles  was  also  the  grandson  of  Mary  of  Bur- 
gundy, and  was  born  and  brought  up  in  Flanders,  and  his  native 
language  was  French.  Spain  and  the  vast  colonial  possessions  of 
Spain  in  America  and  the  East  Indies  were  inherited  from  his 
mother;  Burgundy,  that  is  to  say  the  Netherlands  (Belgium  and 
Holland),  with  all  their  tapestry  looms,  from  his  grandmother, 
Mary,  through  his  father,  Philip  the  Handsome;  Austria,  from  his 
grandfather,  Maximilian.  Emperor  of  what  is  now  the  Central 
Empires  he  became  by  election.  His  possessions  were  more  v^ast 
than  those  of  any  ruler  since  the  ancient  Roman  Pnnpire. 

January  is  distinguished  by  the  fact  that  in  it  the  Emperor 
Charles  and  the  Empress  Isabella  appear  three  times,  and  that  the 
floor  tiles  are  adorned  with  the  double-headed  eagle  ot  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire,  so  called  because  it  was  neither  Holy  or  Roman. 
Each  of  the  three  Charles  carries  a torch,  and  each  of  the  three 
Isabellas  an  arrow.  The  figure  at  the  back  of  the  hall  is  a Roman 


18 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


God,  the  two-faced  Janus  who  ushers  out  the  Old  Year  with  one 
face,  and  ushers  in  the  New  Year  with  the  other  face,  holding  over 
the  head  of  the  sleeping  woman  who  symbolizes  the  Old  Year  the 
symbol  of  Eternity,  a serpent  biting  its  tail.  The  lengths  of  the 
five  tapestries  are:  No.  27,  January,  10  feet  4;  No.  28,  March,  15 
feet  4;  No.  29,  April,  7 feet  11;  No.  30,  September,  15  feet  6;  No. 

31.  October,  7 feet  9.  The  Toulouse  Gobelin  Months  of  Lucas  are 
lent  by  Duveen  Brothers. 

32.  THE  VILLAGE  MARKET,  a large  and  effective  composition 
designed  by  Etienne  Jeaurat,  and  woven  at  the  Gobelins  on  the  high 
warp  looms  of  Michel  Audran.  The  tapestry  before  us  is  from  the 
collection  of  the  Duke  of  Bisaccia,  inherited  from  the  collection  of 
his  great-great-grandfather,  the  Duke  of  Laval-Montmorency 
(1723-98),  Marshal  of  France,  and  First  Gentleman  of  the  Chamber 
of  Monsieur.  The  scene  on  the  left  shows  a recruiting  sergeant 
busy  at  his  task,  while  on  the  right  is  the  market  with  buildings  and 
peddlers,  girls  dancing,  children  at  the  wheel  of  fortune,  and  a quack 
doctor  holding  up  a printed  placard,  with  a negro  assistant.  Size, 
9 feet  4 by  18  feet  9.  Lent  by  Gimpel  & Wildenstein. 

33.  CUPID  AND  PSYCHE,  a tapestry  woven  at  the  Gobelins  in 
1792  by  Cozette  Fils,  who  signed  it  and  dated  it.  M.  Molinier,  the 
Director  of  the  Louvre,  wrote  of  the  duplicate  there:  “A  tapestry 
after  the  design  of  Charles  Coypel.  The  composition  is  absolutely 
theatrical,  and  ranks  among  the  most  beautiful.  Cupid  is  less  the 
kind  of  Cupid  that  antiquity  conceives,  and  more  the  actor  who 
is  playing  a gracious  role.”  The  scene  is  from  Moliere’s  “Psiche,” 
and  shows  Cupid  on  a bed  alseep,  with  an  arrow  in  his  right  hand, 
while  Psyche  regards  him  by  the  light  of  an  ancient  Roman  hand 
lamp.  Psyche  has  been  persuaded  by  her  jealous  sisters  that  her 
husband,  who  visits  her  only  by  night  and  whose  face  neither  she 
nor  any  of  her  family  has  seen,  is  the  awful  monster  foretold  by  the 
oracle,  who  shuns  the  light  because  of  his  ugliness.  They  have 
persuaded  her  that  it  is  her  duty  to  destroy  him  as  he  sleeps.  So 
Psyche  takes  the  dagger  and  enters  the  nuptial  bower  where  Cupid 
slumbers.  Her  surprise  and  delight  at  finding  divine  beauty  in- 
stead of  deformity  are  revealed  in  her  countenance.  Size,  12  feet 
2 by  9 feet  11.  Lent  by  Lewis  & Simmons. 

34.  BACCHUS  AND  ARIADNE,  a tapestry  woven  at  the  Gobe- 

lins in  1795  by  Cozette  Fils,  after  the  design  of  the  French  painter 
Clement  Belle,  inspector  at  the  Gobelins  from  1755  to  1802.  The 
artist’s  own  memorandum  describes  the  scene:  “Bacchus  finds 

Ariadne  on  the  island  of  Naxos,  deserted  by  Theseus  and  aban- 
doned to  grief.  Touched  by  her  misfortunes  and  her  beauty,  he 
offers  her  his  hand  and  his  crown.  Cupid  unites  them.”  Size  12 
feet  by  8 feet  9.  Lent  by  Lewis  & Simmons. 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


19 


35.  DIANA  AND  ENDYMION,  an  eighteenth  century  French 
tapestry  attributed  to  the  Gobelins.  Endymion  was  the  only  man 
the  chaste  Diana  ever  loved,  and  even  him  she  loved  chastely. 
The  scene  shows  that  her  interest  has  at  last  been  really  aroused. 
Characteristic  of  her  is  the  chariot  drawn  by  two  hinds,  as  well  as  the 
crescent  on  her  brow.  Size  11  feet  3 by  13  feet.  Lent  by  William 
Baumgarten  & Co. 

36.  37.  TWO  BEAUVAIS-BOUCHERS.  These  are  the  finest 
tapestries  of  the  eighteenth  century,  surpassing  even  the  wonderful 
cloths  woven  at  the  Gobelins,  which  during  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury had  stood  preeminent.  Beauvais-Bouchers  get  their  name 
from  Francois  Boucher,  by  whom  they  were  designed  in  the  middle 
third  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  from  Beauvais  Tapestry  Works, 
where  they  were  woven  between  1736  and  1778,  inclusive.  As  the 
dates  and  the  name  of  the  designer  would  indicate,  Beauvais- 
Boucher  tapestries  are  warm  with  the  spirit  of  Rococo  and  of  Louis 
XV.,  and  gracefully  passionate  in  form  and  color  as  well  as  in 
subject.  For  the  most  complete  history  of  Beauvais-Boucher 
tapestries  ever  printed,  see  my  articles  in  the  current  March,  April, 
and  May  numbers  of  Arts  and  Decorations.  The  most  important 
ones  privately  owned  in  the  United  States  are  those  belonging  to 
Mrs.  H.  E.  Huntington,  Mrs.  Alexander  Rice,  Mr.  George  F.  Baker, 
Mr.  C.  Ledyard  Blair,  Mr.  George  Gould,  Mr.  C.  B.  Alexander.  It 
is  a matter  of  pride  for  me  to  be  able  to  show  two  at  the  present 
exhibition  in  Detroit,  in  company  with  more  Gobelins  and  Beauvais 
tapestries  than  ever  before  came  so  far  west.  No.  36,  Bacchus 
and  Ariadne,  is  one  of  the  famous  Loves  of  the  Gods  set  of  nine 
tapestries  that  first  went  on  the  looms  at  Beauvais  in  1749.  No. 

37.  Vintage,  is  one  of  the  exquisite  Noble  Pastoral  set  of  six  tapes- 
tries designed  by  Boucher  for  Madame  Pompadour,  who  at  the 
period  dominated  not  only  the  art  of  love  but  the  other  arts  as 
well,  and  took  lessons  in  drawing  from  Boucher  who  was  her 
favorite  painter.  This  set  went  on  the  looms  in  1755,  and  repre- 
sents the  extreme  of  accomplishment  in  tapestry  designing  and 
weaving  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Size  of  Bacchus  and  Ariadne, 
11  feet  7 by  11  feet  3;  of  Vintage,  10  feet  3 by  11  feet  7.  Lent  by 
Duveen  Brothers. 

38.  RUSSIAN  PICNIC,  one  of  the  famous  series  of  pictures  of 
Russian  life,  designed  by  Leprince,  and  woven  at  Beauvais  in  1778. 
The  tapestry  is  signed  A.  C.  C.,  the  initials  of  Andre  Charlemagne 
Charron,  who  was  the  proprietor  of  the  Beauvais  works  at  the  time. 
This  is  a very  rare  and  important  piece.  Size,  8 feet  5 by  23  feet  4. 
Lent  by  L.  Alavoine  & Company. 

39.  THE  BATTLE,  one  of  a pair  of  tapestries  designed  by  Fran- 
cois Casanova,  and  woven  at  Beauvais  in  the  last  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  The  scene  is  a stirring  one,  and  of  course 


20 


THE  DETROIT  MUSEUM  OF  ART 


especially  timely  just  now.  Size,  10  feet  4 by  13  feet  2.  Lent  by 
Gimpel  & Wildenstein. 

40.  ARMORIAL,  a small  French  tapestry  of  the  Regence  period, 
Ix'aring  a coat-of-arms  that  suggests  Persia,  and  with  a green  border 
also  suggestive  of  the  Near  East.  Size  3 feet  8 by  4 feet  2.  Lent 
by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 

41.  MAR.S  AND  VENUS,  a Louis  XV  tapestry  woven  at  Aubus- 
son,  crude  in  color  and  design,  but  not  unpleasing.  Size,  6 feet  7 
by  13  feet  8.  Lent  by  Mrs.  John  W.  Liggett. 

42.  THE  HONEYMOON,  a Louis  XVI  tapestry  in  bad  condition, 
woven  at  Aubusson  after  the  influence  of  the  painters  Dumons  and 
juillard  had  begun  to  be  felt  for  the  better.  Size,  8 feet  8 by  12 
feet.  Gift  of  Mr.  Charles  Stinchfield. 


43.  PLAYING  BALL,  one  of  a charming  set  of  eight  designed 
by  Jean  Baptiste  Huet,  and  woven  at  Aubusson  about  1775. 
Among  tapestries  suitable  in  size  and  subject  for  the  average 
American  house  this  set  is  unique.  It  excels  in  those  decorative 
qualities  which  so  happily  differentiate  many  tapestries  from  most 
paintings,  and  make  a house  a home  instead  of  a museum.  In 
“Playing  Ball”  it  is  not  foot  or  bat  which  propels  the  ball,  but  the 
right  arm  assisted  by  a heavy  brassard.  The  ball  itself  is  large 
and  of  leather,  and  inflated  with  air  by  the  bellows,  that  is  plainly 
shown.  Size,  9 feet  10  by  8 feet  1.  Lent  by  William  Baumgarten 
& Company. 

44.  TAPESTRY  RUG,  woven  in  heavy  texture  and  floral  design 
for  use  on  the  floor  at  Aubusson  about  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Size  20  feet  by  25  feet.  Lent  by  Mrs.  A.  L. 
Stephens. 

45.  AMERICAN  TAPESTRY,  woven  in  Peru  in  the  sixteenth 
century  by  Indians  who  inherited  the  art  from  their  aboriginal  an- 
cestors, but  who  introduced  armed  Spaniards  into  the  four  corners 
of  the  panel  as  a token  of  respect  to  their  conquerors.  A fine 
specimen.  Size  5 feet  8 by  5 feet  6.  Lent  by  Dikran  G.  Kelekian. 

46.  OUDRY  VERDURE,  a pleasing  verdure  of  the  eighteenth 
century  type,  made  vivid  by  animals  in  the  style  of  Oudry,  who 
had  the  good  fortune  not  only  to  bring  back  to  prosperity  the 
weaving  of  tapestries  at  Beauvais  in  the  second  quarter  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  principally  by  employing  Francois  Boucher  to 
make  designs  for  the  Beauvais  works,  but  who  also  became  artistic 
director  of  the  Gobelins.  Size,  8 feet  2 by  16  feet  2.  Woven  and 
lent  by  William  Baumgarten  & Company. 


LOAN  EXHIBITION  OF  TAPESTRIES 


21 


47.  FOUNTAIN  OF  LOVE,  a modem  American  tapestry.  Late 
Gothic  in  style,  picturing  one  of  those  pleasant  scenes  that  whiled 
away  the  hours  of  the  story-telling  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Boc- 
caccio’s Decameron  near  Florence  in  the  fourteenth  century.  This 
tapestry  shows  refinement  of  Gothic  weaving  here  achieved  for 
the  first  time  in  America.  Size,  9 feet  by  8 feet.  Woven  and  lent 
by  the  Edgewater  Tapestry  Looms,  and  accompanied  by  the  small 
and  large  color  sketches  from  which  the  full-sized  cartoon  was 
copied. 

48.  GARDEN  OF  ROSES,  a modern  American  reproduction  of 
one  of  the  famous  Gothic  group  of  three  Garden  of  Roses  tapestries 
belonging  to  the  permanent  collection  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  Art,  and  formerly  famous  in  France  as  part  of  the  Bardac  Col- 
lection. Size,  9 feet  by  11  feet.  Woven  and  lent  by  the  Edgewater 
Tapestry  Looms  and  accompanied  by  the  large  color  sketches  of 
this  and  one  of  the  sister  panels. 

49.  COLOR  SKETCHES  for  two  Shakespeare  tapestries,  de- 
signed and  woven  at  the  Edgewater  Tapestry  Looms. 


4: 


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